“The place was just jammed with people,” said Fair Board president Pierre Lair. Sunday attracted the largest crowd but Saturday’s attendance was also larger than in past years, Lair said. Because no admission was charged this year, the board has no way of estimating the actual size of the crowds.

After his first show, Thomas Lapierre went home with a first-place ribbon in the market steer show.

There was non-stop music, Davey Drummond with Headline kept the crowds rockin’ all weekend.

Volunteer honoured by PM: A director of the Community Futures Development Corporation (CFDC) was honoured for his years of volunteer service by Prime Minister Jean Chrètien last week.

Jim Stewart of Quyon, received a letter from Chrètien congratulating and thanking him for his volunteer work.

Stewart, who recently retired from the CFDC, received the letter via MP Robert Bertrand at a ceremony at the Open Door Bed and Breakfast in Davidson last Thursday.

Sept. 1,1971

50 Years Ago

Lessons for firemen: Five representatives from each of the Municipal Volunteer Fire Brigades of Fort Coulonge, Campbell’s Bay, Shawville and Quyon convened each night for a week to receive instruction on the latest and safest methods of fire fighting, taught by a team of experts from Hull headed by Gerry Amyotte, formerly of Fort Coulonge, assisted by Mr. Presseau and Mr. Thibault.

A mock fire was lit and the men took turns in pairs to demonstrate to the instructors that they had learned proper manipulation of the hoses, putting out the fire swiftly with a fine mist.

Opinions brought out at public meeting: A small intense group of ratepayers, mostly from the townships of North and South Onslow and the village of Quyon gathered last Thursday evening in Onslow Intermediate school in Quyon to obtain information on the Outaouais Regional Community.

On hand to provide the information was Mr. H.L. Leblanc, Chairman of the Committee of the O.R.C. With him on the platform were five senior staff members employed by the O.R.C. to carry out its aims.

The consensus seemed to be that this particular regional community, with its mixture of densely populated urban areas and sparsely populated rural areas was an unsuitable combination. As Lester McCann said, “Anything that’s any good will go in areas where the greatest concentration of population is.”

Since the establishment of the O.R.C. on Jan. 1, 1970, it has taken over the construction of the filtration plant at Hull, it is studying pollution of the Ottawa River; it is planning a storm sewer from Alymer to Templeton; is studying problems of garbage disposal in the urban areas around Hull and Gatineau and is planning collectors and sewage treatment plants which are to be completed by 1974 at a cost of between 50 and 60 million dollars.

Aug. 29,1946

75 Years Ago

Local News: Staff Sgt. Burns Russell Bristol’s last repat home: with the arrival of Staff Sgt. Burns Russell on the Mauritania on Saturday last, all of the Bristol service personnel are now returned to their homes.

An important announcement recently was that the United Kingdom will join the United States in unifying their zones of occupation in Germany.

Maintaining the Dominion Experimental Farm set-up costs each Canadian citizen about 20 cents annually, according to a statement made by a farm official recently. Results indicate that this modest annual investment brings handsome dividends to the nation and to the farmer.

Trade Minister MacKinnon announced last week in the commons the removal of the pegged price of $1.55 a bushel for Canada’s export wheat sales, except to Britain and said a “serious” effort will be made to sell at prices “roughly corresponding” to those of the United States.

Ad: When in Renfrew try the Piccadilly Inn for good meals and courteous service, opposite the Beamish Stores, Raglan Street.

Aug. 18,1921

100 Years Ago

Local News: A large crowd attended the picnic at North Onslow last Wednesday and everything passed off pleasantly, so reports of the Shawville contingent which accompanied the Citizen’s Band, the latter making its second public appearance since re-organization. The day was fine but became rather breezy in the afternoon and when the racing events got under way the dust rose in clouds that at times were difficult to see through. A good baseball game was staged by Elmside and Murrell teams, the latter carrying off the honours. A very good dinner was served which included an abundance of baked beans, cooked in real old shanty fashion and this with most of the Shawville boys, at least, was the crowning feature of the spread.

The town of Aylmer experienced the most destructive fire in its history on Wednesday last. Starting about 2:15 in the afternoon at the stables on the Holt property, during a high wind, the fire swept across the town in a north easterly direction with amazing rapidity and within an hour’s time had reduced all that section of the town lying in its path to ruins, the area devastated being four blocks wide by six blocks in length, and containing more than 100 stores, business places and residences.

The Canadian Pacific Railway by a cut of thirty-five per cent in freight rates on live stock has performed a service which will be of great assistance to the cattle trade of the country. This brings the freight rate down to practically where it was before the war.

The chilly nature of the water at Fletcher’s Beach in Otter Lake, near Lombardy, due to a natural spring in the vicinity, is believed to have been the case of the five drownings of the Toohey family which occurred Tuesday afternoon.

The two youngest girls waded into deep water and immediately got into difficulty. The older sister, who was bathing in shallow water at the time, rushed to their aid, although she was unable to swim. The father and son, both good swimmers, were working in an adjoining field in the hot sun, cutting beaver hay. Answering the calls for help, they rushed to the spot and jumped in the water fully dressed, but were drowned in the heroic attempt to save the three girls.

The new Governor General of Canada, Baron Byng of Vimy, accompanied by Lady Byng and retinue reached Quebec by steamer Empress of France about one o’clock on Wednesday last, some hours in advance of the time expected. Consequently His Excellency remained on board the steamer till the following morning in order to fit in with the plans that were laid for his reception.

Aug. 27,1896

125 Years Ago

Local News: A very pleasant evening was spent by the young people of Charteris at Mr. John Kelly’s on Tuesday last. The program consisted of plays ans singing with the serving of lunch which latter was excellent in every particular. The boys say the cakes and pies were “out of sight,” and boast that the ladies of Charteris are never behind in matters of this kind.

The Sunday School picnic to Norway Bay on Tuesday was very largely attended. In addition to the very large turnout from this village, there was also a goodly number from Bristol. The weather was delightful and almost enjoyable day was spent.

The “Assembly” at Portage du Fort on Wednesday evening of last week is said to have been a very brilliant affair. Shawville, Quyon, Bryson, Renfew and Beachburg were well represented. An Ottawa orchestra furnished music.

The first session of the eighth parliament of Canada opened on Thursday by His Excellency the Governor-General. The crowd which assembled to witness the proceedings was probably the largest which has ever attended the opening of a session in Ottawa.

The ceremonies attending the opening were as imposing as usual and passed off with their accustomed smoothness, the only drawback being that the crowd in the Senate chamber was so large that the greater portion of the space outside the bar, supposed to be reserved solely for members of the House of Commons, was occupied by ladies, many of whom were accompanied by children and even babies in arms, so that many members of the House were unable to gain admittance to the chamber and retired to the Commons side of the building.

The floor of the senate was literally covered with invited guests, amongst whom there were more than the usual number of ladies in evening dress and the galleries were crowded almost to suffocation. Fortunately the day was cool for summer weather, so that there was no great suffering from the heat, but the crush was very great.

The banks in Toronto are daily becoming suspicious of American money and now not one of them will accept any form of American money at par to any great extent.

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